Cost of Living Comparison Between Malindi and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Malindi and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $497 per month in Malindi vs $947 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $779 per month in Malindi vs $1,411 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,060 per month in Malindi vs $1,874 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Malindi is about 48% cheaper than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Malindi and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Malindi 64% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.09 KES 270

$2.08 ฿68.6

0.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.43 KES 3,032

$19.64 ฿646

19.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 KES 1,343

$5.65 ฿186

83.72%

Cappuccino

$3.56 KES 460

$1.81 ฿59.4

96.69%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 KES 124

$0.71 ฿23.45

35.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 KES 51.7

$0.32 ฿10.38

25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 KES 305

$2.24 ฿73.6

5.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 KES 418

$3.63 ฿119

-11.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 KES 115

$1.96 ฿64.4

-54.59%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 KES 67.7

$1.50 ฿49.39

-65.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 KES 156

$1.34 ฿43.93

-9.70%

Eggs

$1.81 KES 235

$2.26 ฿74.5

-19.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.24 KES 1,454

$16.26 ฿535

-30.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.54 KES 717

$2.95 ฿97.1

87.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.06 KES 655

$9.94 ฿327

-49.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.10 KES 271

$2.57 ฿84.6

-18.29%

Banana (1kg)

$0.74 KES 96.3

$1.06 ฿34.73

-30.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 KES 236

$1.61 ฿53.0

13.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.64 KES 82.8

$1.52 ฿49.97

-57.89%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 KES 93.4

$1.27 ฿41.77

-43.31%

Onion (1kg)

$0.71 KES 91.8

$1.07 ฿35.06

-33.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 KES 73.0

$0.72 ฿23.68

-22.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 KES 59.4

$0.51 ฿16.72

-9.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.75 KES 615

$4.19 ฿138

13.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.82 KES 1,011

$17.87 ฿587

-56.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 KES 251

$1.69 ฿55.7

14.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 KES 368

$2.84 ฿93.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿30.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,771

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 KES 392

$1.23 ฿40.59

146.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 KES 228

$0.58 ฿18.96

203.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.59 KES 594

$2.42 ฿79.7

89.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 KES 184

$1.41 ฿46.43

0.71%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$12.2K KES 1.6M

$21.4K ฿705.1K

-43.28%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$12.0K KES 1.6M

$27.3K ฿898.7K

-55.97%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$54.7 KES 7,079

$63.7 ฿2,093

-14.07%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$13.00 KES 1,682

$12.85 ฿423

1.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.03 KES 4,015

$20.22 ฿665

53.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.19 KES 5,070

$38.74 ฿1,274

1.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.97 ฿130

Cinema Ticket

$10.91 KES 1,412

$6.74 ฿222

61.87%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$86.9 KES 11.2K

$778 ฿25.6K

-88.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,368 KES 694.5K

$14.6K ฿480.4K

-63.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.38 KES 1,731

$54.3 ฿1,785

-75.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.60 KES 1,759

$25.45 ฿837

-46.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$22.92 KES 2,965

$94.3 ฿3,102

-75.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$45.93 KES 5,943

$73.4 ฿2,415

-37.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 ฿9,512

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$387 KES 50.1K

$894 ฿29.4K

-56.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$517 ฿17.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,955 ฿64.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,477 ฿48.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿19.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

133.39%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Malindi: August 30, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Malindi versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $171 in Malindi vs $240 in Chiang Mai – so Malindi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Malindi vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 91% more than Malindi, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $746 per month in Malindi and $1,421 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Malindi and $20.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 41% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Malindi, where all-in costs run around $497, than in Chiang Mai at $947. In Malindi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Malindi costs $497 versus $947 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Malindi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.